Pope Francis was given an exuberant welcome to Mongolia Friday, on his first papal visit to the Asian nation, as he sent a message of "unity and peace" to China in a bid to improve ties.

Francis arrived on Friday morning, following a nine-hour journey from Rome, as he was greeted by a line of Mongolian honour guards in traditional blue, red and yellow attire upon his arrival, along with foreign minister Batmunkh Battsetseg.

He then headed to the home of Bishop Giorgio Marengo, the Church's youngest Cardinal, where children waving the flags of Mongolia and the Vatican chanted "Long live the pope!"

Local children sang songs about "Mongolian happiness" as they waited for the pope, with lyrics declaring "Mongolia is full of freedom, peace, joy and a bright future".

Sister Aleth Evangelista told reports that she and her fellow nuns felt "very blessed and fortunate to welcome the Pope in this country."

"Mongolia is a non-Christian country, most of the people are Buddhist and Shamanist, but the pope is here to foster peace and communion among all people," she said.

"I am quite excited that a worldly person like him would come to Mongolia, and it is a rare occasion," Khijigjargal Darisuren, a volunteer at the Saint Thomas church, said.

"I am very happy that we could meet him in person which is a rare treat for us."

The voyage is Francis' second to the region in a year after a September trip to Kazakhstan, underscoring the geopolitical importance of the sensitive area.